William mont stoem



UNITED STATES l'PATENT OEEICE.

WILLIAM MONT STORM, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

SUBMARINE EXPLORER.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent N0. 54,43Srdated May 1,1866.

To all whom it may coozcerm Be it known that I, WILLIAM MONT STORM, ofthe city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Submarine Explorers, of which the following`specification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing,embraces a full and clear description.

The drawing represents a central vertical section.

The basing features of my explorer are taken from what is known andpatented as the Ryersons Submarine Explorer,77 reference to which willfacilitate the clear understanding of my improvements.

As in the former, there is a Working-chamber, A, having an elevatedloor, P, and a still more elevated exit-trap or man-hole, Q.

The explorer is also composed of two shells with large space betweenthem, divided horizontally by an air -tight circumferential diaphragm,D, the space B above such diaphragm being a reservoir for compressedair, and the space below such diaphragm being a space for water-ballast,which may properly be termed the differential ballast.77 Theequipoise-ballast, or that which equalizes in the main the oatent powerof the explorer` when immersed, and the chamber (l and the space belowthe loor I) of the workingchamber being, the former partly and thelatter entirely, filled with water, is supplied by the fixed cast ironballast-ring E.

As the weight of tools and other apparatus to be taken down would varygreatly according to the submarine work to be performed on differentoccasions, I superpose upon the proporly-adapted xed ballast-ring otherremovable ballast-rings, as E', which may be lowered over the explorerto their places, or by vbeing made in segments (properly connectablewhen in place) they may be put on laterally and be properly keyed atintervals, so that they cannot move about by anymotion of the explorer.This enables lne to adjust the iloating power of the explorer to theproper degree, according to the load on board, which, if too great, withthe ballastchamber partly filled, is corrected by the removal of one ormore of the rings E', and the ascensive or lifting power, when at thebottom, will be limited by the amount of water I can carry down in thechamber (l, to be thence displaced by means presently explained.

C G are vertical diaphragms to prevent the water in the chamber fromrushing suddenly to one side during any casual oscillation of theexplorer. l

I propose to make the shell of my explorer of best one-fourth-inchboiler-iron, properly stayed and braced to bear both collapsing andbursting pressure. N N are stay-bolts for this purpose. The verticalportion of the inner shell does not extend down as far as that of theouter shell, but bevels outward to the latter at the bottom, as shown.This permits a more obtuse angular view, embracing a far greater area ofvision from the man-hole Q than if the inner shell were carried down tothe bottom with cylindrical form, and at the same time this enables theexplorer to cover and embrace within its lower or bell portion, Z,(which I call the working-chamber, in contradistinction to theoperating-chamber, mainly devoted to operating the explorer itself,) amuch more extensive portion of the bottom.

In lieu of employing a spray-pump, which is an obstruction within thechamber A, as in the Ryerson explorer, (for the purpose of absorbin gthe carbonic-acid gas from the exhaled air, to the end that it may berepeatedly inhaled, and so a given amount support life for a much longerperiod,) I line the inner wall of the chamber A with felt, R, which isagain covered and shielded by a perforated sheet of zinc, R', and thefelt being kept wet presents an enormous surface of contact with the airin the chamber, in proportion to which surface will be the rapidity ofabsorption, it bein g understood that the perforated plate is not muchof that already vitiated has accumulated in the water-tight space belowthe felt, which does not extend down to the iioor of the work.-ingchamber, (see drawings,) it may be forced out from such space intothe ballast-chamber, through a pipe communicating from one to the other,by the pressure of the air in the chamber A on opening the cock S. Onlya portion of this air-purifying sheathing or lining is shown.

For the purpose of admitting light to the explorer and for looking out Iemploy four or more flaring tubes, F, set atan angle, as shown, toenable an observer Vto look downward as well as outward. F is closednear its inner and smaller extremity by a lens, f, packed water-tight. Fis made of or lined with some proper reflecting material, so as toreceive and throw more light into the explorer.

Against the inner wall of the chamber A,

opposite to and in line with the focus off, I

place another reiiector to diffuse and practically increase the lightwithin, the oval V (in red) representing one of such reflectorscorresponding to a counterpart of F f, located in that section of theexplorer opposite to the section shown. I propose to attach theserefiectors to the wall of the chamber by means of a short stout spiralspring, or its equivalent, or by means of' a ball and socket, to the endthat they can be so turned as to throw their light, one or more ofthem,on a given spot, should occasion require.

W is a man-hole (shown in red) to give access when needed, duringconstruction or repair, to the compressed-air chamber or reservoir B.

X(shown in red) is a man-hole through the diaphragm D to give access tothe ballastchamber.

To enable the scuttle O and trap Q to be taken off or put on quickly,and when on to be held lirmly, I employ toggle-bolts x w, that swing inbetween strong jaws 'x' m', when by screwing up the nuts on theextremities of the toggle bolts O and Q are firmly drawn home. Ihey andtheir seats, having proper tongues and grooves around theircircumference lled with india-rubber, render their joints air and watertight, all as shown.

On the interior wall of the chamber A, I locate three fac-similepressure-gages, J, K, and L, the rst communicating with the externalwater, and the needle of each gage while indicating on the scaleopposite one extremity of its needle a given pressure in pounds, itsotherA extremity indicates on a scale marked for feet the correspondingdepth to which the explorer is submerged. K communicates with thecompressed-air chamber B, showing the surplus of pressure over that ofthe water without and the number of feet to which the explorer maydescend and have Q removed without the admission of water. L shows theexisting pressure within the operating-chamber A.

To facilitate the hoisting overboard of the explorer I supply itwith achain-harness, y, so connected to the explorer as to distribute thestrain on the shell to eight different points,

' as will be readily understood by the drawing.

I will now proceed to describe the operation of my explorer, in doingwhich the purpose and operation of other parts or appurtenances notbefore referred to will -be also explained. y

We will suppose the explorer just tohave been lowered into the waterfrom the deck of a vessel, for instance, the scuttle O- being off' andhanging by its guard-chain o', while the trap Q is tightly in place.

When the explorer is lowered into the water aquantity of air will beinclosed and coniined and compressed in the bell portion orworking-chamber Z, under the floor l? of the chamber A. This air Vmustbe allowed to escape before the explorer descends, inasmuch as in thedescent the air would become more and more compressed, thus diminishing,as it were, the displacement. of the explorer, causing it to descendwith an accelerating velocity, which must be obviated, and is asfollows: An operator enters the explorer by O, and by opening the cockU, which communicates through the loor of' chamber A, the air will rushinto the latter until chamber Z is lled with water, when the eocldisclosed. Next he opens the cock M2, when water will rush into and throughthe pipe a and through the cock M2, and down through the pipe u2,emptying into and lling to the destined extent the chamber C. The aircontained in O will pass to the outside of the explorer, through thepipe M, by opening the cock M.

When G is sufciently filled M2 and M are closed, the tools and theremaining operators are now taken aboard, and we will suppose theexplorer to be now immersed to theline z z. And here it would be properto explain the purpose and importance of the conical form of the top of.my explorer. First, it is necessary while the operators, tools, &c.,are being put aboard that the scuttle O shall be considerably elevatedabove the water, especially in rough weather, so that the waves shallnot wash over and into the operatingchamber; but it will be perceivedthat if the upper portion of such an explorer retained the cylindricalform, like that of the lower portion, then, if its top had any materialelevation above the water, it would tax largely the contents of mywater-ballast chamber to overcome the buoyancy of a portion of theexplorer, so capacious as it would be if of cylindrical form.

On the attendant vessel there is supposed to be a steam-pump for forcingair, from which extends a strong wire-bound hose or other iiexibleconduit having at its other extremity a screw-nozzle, a', that screwsinto a tube, a2, which communicates, by means of the cock G, with thecompressed-air reservoir B.v Now, the scuttle O being closed, a signalis given from within by rapping with a hammer, for instancefand theoperation of pumping may be commenced and continued until there is sucha pressure in B shown by gage K as shall considerably exceed thatcorresponding to the depth to which it is desired to descend, which issupposed to be previously known by sounding. When there is sufficientpressure inB the cock Gr can be closed; and the air-chamber of thesteam-pump on the attendant vessel being provided with a safety-valve,and it in turn mounted with a whistle, on the closing of' G such safetyvalve will almost immediately open, sounding the whistle and givingnotice to stop pumping and detach the hose.

I is a cock for admitting air from the reservoir B into chamber A, andwhile the pumping is going on this cock should be partially opened,permitting a gradually -increasing pressure in such chamber, wherebyeach operator ascertains to what extent he can endure it, and if unableto bear the necessary pressure l can be closed, and H, which is the cockto permit the escape of foul air from time to time outward through thetube b", which being opened, will let 0H the pressure gradually. 0 canthen be removed, and the defective operator retire.

When there is sufficient pressure there in the explorer a predeterminedsignal can be given and a', with its hose detached, and a furtherquantity ot' water be admitted to the chamber G,in the manner beforedescribed, sufficient to equal the displacement ot' the yet unsubmergedconical top ot the explorer, when the latter will descend steadily tothe bottom with a velocity regulated by the admission or expulsion ofwater from the chamber C, not only the velocity of descent but itsextent being constantly indicated by the movement of the needle of thegage J, and so of the ascent.

Suspended from the bottom of the fixed ballast-ring, by chains aboutfour and one-halt' feet in length, are anchor-weights T T T, that whenthey strike bottom relieve the explorer of so much weight and check itsdownward course, as well as holding it in place afterward, which,however, should have been reduced to a minimum by the expulsion of a`little water from C when the gage J indicated that bottom was nearlyreached. Now, if the pressure in the operating-chamber is not equal tothat of the water without it is made so and a trifling excess by openingfor the requisite time the cock I. M2 is now opened, permitting morewater to enterC. At the same timeUis opened, permitting air to pass downinto Z, these cocks being opened to such an extent, respectively, as tolet water into O at about the same rate that it is displaced from Z,keeping the explorer poised as near as may be, when the water in Z isdisplaced down about to the line y', which may be told by looking'through the glass bullseye 'q' in the center of g. The latter may beremoved and the operators, one by one, pass out with their implements, afurther quantity of water, equivalent to their weight, being admittedmeantime to chamber G by one operator or watchman, who shall alwaysremain in the explorer if convenient.

I should have before stated that the water to wet the felt R of theair-purifier can be supplied continuously or intermittently by openingthe cock g', which communicates on the one side with a circularperforated tube or sprinkler, h', and in the opposite direction with apipe, i', which extends down through chamber B and diaphragm D and tonear the bottom of chamber C, and by admitting an airpressure on the topof the waterin C, by opening the cock M', there will be a constant forceto impel the water up to the air-purifier R R. Operations being completefor the time, operators and implements are returned to chamber A, Q isclosed, and M2 is opened, as also M', and the water in C will be drivenon through n2 and a until the explorer begins to ascend with the desiredrapidity, when M M2 are closed. 011 reaching the surface H is opened andthe pressure in A let oi gradually down to the atmospheric pressure,when the scuttle O may be removed, &c.

It is hardly necessary to mention that the air in A may be renewed fromtime to time by opening I to let in fresh air, and H to let theexhausted air escape. Inasmuch as the exhausted air would be of a highertemperature and lighter than the air in B, I would, in practice, locateH near the top of the chamber A, and the cock .l near the bottom of thesame, and the two cocks bein g simultaneously opened, the exhausted aircould be underllowed and expelled by the fresh air with the least lossof the latter.

I have anticipated various modes of giving lateral propulsion anddirecting my explorer when suspended in mid-water, and among these modesis the application of a pipe communieating with the chamber A, and thereclosed by a cock, and projecting radially through both shells of myexplorer to the outside, and there, branching right and lefthorizontally, close around the outside of the outer shell andterminating respectively with a nozzle, the length of these branchesbeing such as to embrace conjointl y about one-quarter ot' the cir- Acumierence of the explorer'. It would be evident, now, by permitting theexitoi' air through these nozzles, the explorer will be propelled in theopposite direction somewhat on the principle of a sky-rocket; or, again,if the radial pipe at its terminus within the chamber A had connected toit another pipe running down into the bottom of the water-ballastchamber C, then, by letting on air-pressure from the chamber B, waterwould be forced out of the aforesaid nozzles and the explorer would bepropelled by aforce such as propels a reaction water-wheel or Barkersmill.

Having now fully described the nature of my invention, what I claim, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The hinged or toggle bolts, with their clutching-jaws andbinding-nuts, all combined and operating substantially as described, forfastening in place the scuttle O and trap.

2. The application of the three pressuregages J K. L, prepared andapplied in the manner and for the purposes described.

3. The lookouts E, constructed substantially as described, and combinedwith the watertight lens f, as described.

ors V, in the manner and for the purpose described.

8. In combination With my purier, the waterspace at its bottom and thecock S, constructed and operating in the manner and for the purposedescribed.

9. The cock G, constructed and applied substantially in the manner andfor the purpose explained.

Witnesses:

JAS. S. WIGHTMAN, C. J. FERGUSON.

WVM. MONT STORM.

